Moderate physical activity may prevent depressive symptoms in patients with r-axSpA

Patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) who engage in moderate-level physical activity (PA) appear to have fewer depressive symptoms, a study has found.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in patients with r-axSpA identified from the UK Biobank. The investigators assessed total PA (TPA) using a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and derived leisure time PA (LTPA) from self-reported frequency and duration of five leisure activities during the preceding 4 weeks.

In addition, depressive symptoms were examined using the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). The associations between PA levels and depressive symptoms were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models.

A total of 1,542 patients with r-axSpA were included in the analysis. Those who engaged in moderate-level PA demonstrated the lowest prevalence of depressive symptoms.

Following full adjustment, moderate-level TPA correlated with a lower likelihood of developing depressive symptoms compared with low-level TPA (odds ratio [OR], 0.55, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.36‒0.82). On the other hand, the association between high-level TPA and depressive symptoms did not reach statistical significance (OR, 0.63, 95 percent CI, 0.39‒1.01).

Moderate-level LTPA was likewise significantly associated with lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (OR, 0.58, 95 percent CI, 0.34‒0.996). By contrast, low- and high-level LTPA did not show significant associations after full adjustment.

“Our findings suggest that PA levels may be an important correlate of depressive symptoms in patients with r-axSpA, warranting confirmation in longitudinal studies,” the investigators said.